Definition
Irony is a literary or rhetorical device in which there is a gap or incongruity between what a speaker or a writer says, and what is generally understood, ie. reality (Wikipedia). It is a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated (Dictionary.com). Different types of irony include verbal irony, situational irony, and irony of fate. Examples
The role-reversal concerning the social rank between blacks and Creoles in WideSargasso Sea. In the past, creole colonists owned black slaves who were forced to work for their plantations, and possession of slaves was seen as a status symbol. However, the Emancipation Act banned forced labour and phased out slavery as a whole in the British Empire. Once the Creoles were stripped of their former slaves, they lost all power, and were caught in the sticky position of living with half a million ex-slaves who were now of higher social rank.
In O'Connor's short story Parker's Back, Parker's wife sees herself as a devout Christian, and feels a need to chastise her heathen husband for every mistake he makes in the eyes of her "God". However, when it is revealed (through a tattoo) that Parker is a symbol of christ, his religious wife refuses him and casts him out of their home.
Situational and verbal irony play an integral role in Emily Dickinson's poem "I'm Nobody, Who Are You?" The irony is found in the fact that the speaker exchanges the opposite roles of being "nobody" and being "somebody." The latter usually connotes fame and reputation, whereas being "nobody" is equivalent to being at the bottom of the social ladder. In the poem, however, the speaker openly admits to, and welcomes, being a "nobody," and furthermore treats "somebodies" with disdain, likening them to frogs. The irony in this complete reversal lies in the incongruence between the poem's attitude and society's actual views.
In the novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the “old wives’ trick” of deceiving their newly-wed husbands to feign the women’s virginity, or in this case, honor. There are two ironies in this particular issue: the deception used to cover up the women’s loss of honor, and simply the term “stain of honor”. The first irony is apparent because deception and lying is also a form of losing honor, while the wives deceive in order to save their honor. Also, the word “stain” hints negativity, and is also a synonym for “disgrace”, thus pairing the two words, “stain” and “honor” together seems highly ironic and contradictory, because of the contrast of meanings.
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* Albert Camus creates an irony through his writing of the book The Stranger. His theory of absurdity states that life is meaningless and anything in life is ultimately pointless. Camus highly attempts to convey his message to his readers, although according to his own theory, it is pointless. This should mean that Camus' whole novel is a big waste of time in his eyes.
Authors: Janet Xiao, Richard McPhillips and Stacey Lu
IRONY
Definition
Irony is a literary or rhetorical device in which there is a gap or incongruity between what a speaker or a writer says, and what is generally understood, ie. reality (Wikipedia). It is a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated (Dictionary.com). Different types of irony include verbal irony, situational irony, and irony of fate.
Examples
- In the novel Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the “old wives’ trick” of deceiving their newly-wed husbands to feign the women’s virginity, or in this case, honor. There are two ironies in this particular issue: the deception used to cover up the women’s loss of honor, and simply the term “stain of honor”. The first irony is apparent because deception and lying is also a form of losing honor, while the wives deceive in order to save their honor. Also, the word “stain” hints negativity, and is also a synonym for “disgrace”, thus pairing the two words, “stain” and “honor” together seems highly ironic and contradictory, because of the contrast of meanings.
>* Albert Camus creates an irony through his writing of the book The Stranger. His theory of absurdity states that life is meaningless and anything in life is ultimately pointless. Camus highly attempts to convey his message to his readers, although according to his own theory, it is pointless. This should mean that Camus' whole novel is a big waste of time in his eyes.
Authors: Janet Xiao, Richard McPhillips and Stacey Lu